Automatic attachment for switching cars



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. J.PHELPS. v AUTOMATIC ATTACHMENT FOR, SWITCHING GARS.

No. 542, s55. Patented July 16,1895.

W/TNESSES. I HVVENTOR 224/ A TTORNE'Y.

(No Model.)

7 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. PHELPS.

AUTOMATIC ATTACHMENT FOR SWITCHING CARS.

Patented July 16, 1895.

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W/TIVESSES. N

, INVE/VTUI? 'vfimw A TTOHNEY.

(No Model.) 3 ShetsSheet 2:]

J. PHELPS. 7 AUTOMATIC ATTAGHMENT FOR SWITCHING CARS.

- Patented July 16,1895.

INVENTOI? hllei asz,

WITNESSES:

A TTOHNE Y.

" tle in advance of the movable switch-tongue 'UNTTED ST TES PATENT Orrioe.

JOSEPH PHELPS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC ATTACHMENT FOR SWITCHING CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,655, dated July 16, 1895. Application filed November 23,1894. Serial No. 529,692. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in'Automatic Attachments for Switching Oars, fully described and represented. in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to that class ofswitchoperating devices wherein the depression of a suitable foot piece upon the car-platform operates to project a vertically sliding bar into the path of the shifting member of the device to throw the switch-tongue; and its object is to provide a simple and practical mechanism for such purpose.

The invention consists in the specific combination and arrangement of the several mem bers herein shown and described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a per-] spective view of one of the cantracks provided with the switching device, showing also a portion of the car provided with mechanism. for actuating the same. Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 an elevation, of the same with the actuating mechanism omitted. Fig. 4 is a plan of the switch and its shifting-lever. Fig. 5 is an levation, and Fig. 7 a plan, of the shifting member with its casing. Fig. 6 is an eleva tion, and Fig. 8 a plan, of the trip-lever. Fig. 9 is a plan, and Fig. 10 an elevation, of the actuating mechanism upon the under side of the car-bottom. Figs. 4 to 10, inclusive, are upon a larger scale than the preceding figures.

a is the car, 1) b the main-line tracks, a c the siding or branch tracks, and d the switchtongue, each being of the ordinary construction and arrangement.

A vertical sector 6, having a peripheral tooth e is mounted upon a fixed stud falitd and adjacent to the rail b leading thereto, the periphery of the sector being on a level with the rail, but its tooth being projected above the latter and inclined backwardly with relation to the switch-tongue, offering upon its front side an abrupt shoulder forthe engagement of the sliding bar upon the car.

A horizontal bell-crank't' is mounted, opposite the free end of the switch-tongue, upon the fixed stud m, with one arm substantially parallel with the track, connected to the" with the adjacent side of the toothed sector e by means of the adjustable rod or link g, formed of two separate rods with their adjacent ends adjustably secured together by the clamp k.

At a suitable distance in advance of the toothed sector is an angular trip lever j mounted upon a stationary horizontal stud and provided with a lateral bearing-plate q sustainted normally at the level of the track within a notch therein for the same, and with a depending arm connected to the nearer side of the toothed sector by an adjustable link h, similar in constructionto the link g.

It is obvious that by the employment of the extensible links 9 and h the several pivoted members to which they are applied may be securedin position independently and the links subsequently applied and theirlengths adjusted when the several operative members are thus set in their normal positions, and that compensation for the wear of the operative parts of the device may also be efiected by such adjustment after the mechanism has been in operation.

The shifting mechanism, which is sustained upon the under side of the car-bottom, consists of a bell-crank 3 supported by a suitable bracket. under the platform, having a lateral arm with a concave bearing plate s to engage the stem 7" of the foot-piece 0" projecting through the platform from the upper side of the latter. The depending'arm of the bell crank sis connected to the upwardly-projecting arm of the bell-crank v in the rear of the same by an adjustable rod u, similar to the rods g and h. The bell-crank'v is formed with a rearwardly-projecting arm n and is sustained in its normatposition by means of the spring 2, attached at one end to the upright arm of the crank and at its other end to the car-bottom. A vertical sliding bar to is sustained in a suitable bearing mounted upon the car-frame and is provided at its upper end and above the said bearing with an eye to, into which is projected the lateral arm of the crank o.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: As the car moves along upon the main track b toward the switch-tongue, the passage of its wheels over the bearing-plate q (should ,the same be raised by the previous turning ot the switch) operates to depress the latter into its normal position, thereby, through the links 9 and h, setting the sector e with its tooth in an upright position forsubsequent engagement and simultaneously actuating the bell-crank i to shift the switch-tongue for the passage of the car upon the main track, as indicated in Fig; 1. The depression of the foot-piece 1" upon the car-platform operates,

permits the car to pass the switch upon the main track.

I am aware that it is not new, broadly, to; construct a switch-shifter of a series of hell-- cranks connected together by means of links and operated from thepassingcars, as sho-wn in United States Patents Nos. 413,145 and- 5l9,741, and thatit is notnew, broadly, to actuate such a device by means ofmechanism upon the car, comprising bell-crankshaving l-ink connectionsand operated by -asuitable foot-piece upon the car-platform, as in United States Patent No. 227,089, and Itherefore disclaim the same; but

What I do claim hereinas specifically new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The switching device comprising the switch tongue 61, the bell=crank 't'pivoted adjacent thcretoupona fixed vertical stud wt and having one arm connected to the switch tongue by the link 0, the vertical sector epivoted upon the fixed pin f and provided with the peripheral tooth e backwardly inclined relative to the switch-tongue, the angular trip lever j pivoted upon a fixed horizontal pin and formed with the lateral bearing plate q and with a depending arm, linksg and 72 connecting, respectively, the vertical arms of the bell crank i and the trip leverj with the adjacent sides of the sector 6 and formed each of two separate rods having their adjacent ends secured together by the adjustable clamps k, the'whole arrangeda-nd operated as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a railway-car, of a switch operating device comprising the foot piece 7" upon the car platform having the depending stem 7" projected through the said platform, the-bell crank s mounted in-a suitable bracket -upon the car bottom with a latbearing plate 8' to receive the end of the stem -erally projecting arm having the concave r and a depending arm,the bell crank 11 sustained in a suitable bracketupon the car bottom in the rear of the bell crank s and having an upwardly projecting arm connected with the-depending arm-oi the bell cranks by the adjustable rod uand formed with a laterally projecting arm, the spring 2 secured at one end to the upright arm of the bell crank '1; and at the-other end to the car bottom, and the vertical sliding bar 10 mounted in a suitable bearing upon the car frame and provided at itsupper end with the eye 20 to receive :and engagethe lateral arm of the crank '12, the whole arranged and operated as t and for the purpose-set forth.

JOSEPH PHELPS.

\Vitnesses:

S. PERIT RAWLE, J AMES' F. KENNARD. 

